Product Empties: Skincare & Makeup

July 17, 2018

Hello loves!! I’m going to jump right into today’s post topic because I have a feeling it’s going to be a LONG one. I am sharing some empties that I have of products I’ve used up for the past eight or so months (yes, I hoarded all these empty containers until now). I’m naturally a VERY nosey person and love knowing what other’s have used up or are currently using. I could sit in front of my laptop watching all those empties YouTube videos…which is where I got this idea. I wanted to share with you all the items that I have used up and what I thought about them. Or if you don’t care about my reviews at all, but just as nosey as I am, you can satisfy that part with this post too haha. To make sure it’s not going to be too long, I am going to divide all these empties up into different posts based on categories: skincare and makeup, hair and body/bath, and miscellaneous. Today’s post is going to focus on skincare and makeup, which is the largest group since I am a skincare fanatic right now.

SKINCARE

There are two bottles of this in my giant pile of empties and for good reason. When I first heard about micellar water, I didn’t know where to start since there were so many in the market. I actually came across this on accident when doing a monthly grocery haul from Boxed. And since it was on sale for two bottles, I couldn’t resist. The Simple brand is so gentle and has become one of my favorite skincare brands. This micellar water is no exception — it does the job and feels great on my skin every night.

This is also a all-time favorite of mine when it comes to micellar water. I started wearing waterproof mascara thus the Simple Micellar Water couldn’t clean my eye makeup off as well. I did a lot of research and heard a lot of people loving this product. It’s been so amazing that I can’t seem to get rid of it. You can find a bottle of this everywhere! It removes eye makeup and is great for my skin—even though it is on the oiler side.

Neutrogena has always been so well-known for their skincare products that are effective and affordable. This cleanser is also a fave in that it’s gentle and refreshing. But if you are looking for something stronger to clean off the day, I wouldn’t recommend this. I typically use this in contingency with another cleanser or in the morning when I want to feel more refreshed.

I am always on the fence with luxury brand skincare products. Are they charging a high price because of the brand or because it actually works? I was so hesitate to make the splurge on a cleanser but this one was actually one that I loved so much. A little goes a long way and it’s relatively more inexpensive compared to other brands. The smell is definitely my favorite part—every time I get a whiff of it, I get reminded that I get to go bed soon!

Ya know that luxury makeup issue from the item above? This product is the reason I am untrusting! I got this through a sample sale in NYC (I live on sample sales) and was so excited to try it since I never had any Bobbi Brown products. It was so disappointing….the solution did nothing to remove my eye makeup and it wasn’t even waterproof! Definitely do not recommend this one!

I got this as a sample from Etude House while placing my skincare order. I have to say that it is one of the most satisfying cleanser to use cause it foams up – it takes little to make me happy haha. But when it comes down to it, I didn’t really feel as if it did anything major to my skin or did a superb job on getting my makeup off.

This is my holy grail product of all time—more like Clarisonic than this brush though. My best investment has been my Clarisonic 3 years ago (buy it during Christmas time to save major $$). I have tried various brushes and always buy them in packs to get a deal and these ones have been great. I got a pack of 2 and currently on the second one. It cleans my skin without being too abrasive and it’s gentle enough for me to use every day.

This product was also a sample from Etude House and it was the first time that I used a cleansing gel with an oil consistency. Annnnddd I think that will also be my last time. I didn’t like the consistency very much and felt as if it didn’t really cleanse as well as my other products.

If you read my skincare routine post, you would know that this product is my holy grail. If I had to throw out everything in my collection, I would do anything to save this one. I have used this product growing up to combat my dry skin and the affordability is the best bonus! It’s so perfect for any season and no other lotion can match up to it.

When I splurged on another luxury item, it was this lotion because I was a in crisis over my dry skin and wanted a quick solution. Chanel is a brand I love to buy skincare and makeup from, so I was really excited to try this. And like everything else in their line, the lotion was very scented (I loved it) and it was in fact great for my dry skin. But I don’t think I would splurge again because of the price and how much of the product you actually get with the pricetag.

This product is so amazing—even through the sample that I tried, I knew it was the perfect night time moisturizer. It’s extremely thick and great for the winter time. Argan oil is amazing for your skin to help rejuvenate skin cells thus this product definitely made me want to try more argan oil products.

I used this lotion in the mornings and honestly didn’t really see a difference. I didn’t love it to go out and grab another—and just went back to my Pond’s one. The consistency was off and it didn’t do much to better application of makeup on top.

This is my absolute favorite toner and I recommend this to every single person who asks me about skincare and isn’t afraid to spend a little more. Murad is overall a great skincare brand that helps target issues. Like I said, I have combination dry skin so any moisture helps and this product delivers! I can’t say enough good things about it—definitely buying anther bottle after I finish my current one!

This was also featured on my skincare routine post thus I won’t go too deep into it. The whole collection was geared towards moisturization and this product did, too. While used with the other products in the line, I thought they did an amazing job at keeping my skin hydrated.

Another product that was in the skincare post — this serum was specifically used to help reduce dark spots on my skin. After finishing the entire bottle, I felt that it did do a great job and it helps that it’s relatively inexpensive.

This product was for hydration — as you can tell from it’s name. I started to add this into my routine in the winter and it greatly helped with how my skin started to feel during the day. The consistency isn’t too thick or thin and it seriously feels as if my skin was drinking it up.

I was introduced to both the brand Amorepacific and facial sprays through this product. I didn’t understand the point of facial sprays until I used this and it was life-changing (almost). Since then I have switched over to a more affordable option (Mario Badescu) but this one was worth the initial price. I always had this in my bag to refresh throughout the day and it made me feel amazing all the time—any extra hydration makes me feel amazing.

This product really confused me in the beginning (and kind of still does) when I first opened it and sampled it. It was so watery that I didn’t know if it was a serum, toner or something in between. I ended up just using it as an essence and really didn’t see a difference with my skin.

This was my first eye cream since I didn’t see a point of starting on eye creams this early on. But after research on it, I found that it’s actually quite beneficial to start early even if it’s not anti-aging. This one was also to provide moisture and I really enjoyed it. I definitely think it did the job, but I think for my next eye cream I want to do more such as brightening my eye area.

Sunscreen is one the MOST important steps of any skincare routine thus I have tried so many types of them. I thought this one was extremely interesting in that it was very liquid and didn’t feel as if it was sunscreen. But that also made it easier to blend out without the white residue that comes with traditional sunscreen. If you don’t like how thick normal sunscreen can be, I definitely recommend trying this one out!

Purlisse had reached out to me in the beginning of this year in terms of trying out some of their products. These masks were amongst the ones they sent and they have quickly became my absolute favorites. I have never tried a sheet mask before that contained charcoal. The charcoal within helps purify your skin and rejuvenate it! Usually with sheet masks, it is harder to see the results but these masks are amazing and results are almost instantaneous.

Collagen has been one of the buzzwords I’ve been hearing for skincare these days! I actually got this one in a set from a Korean skincare store in koreatown. I like to use these once a week and it’s also great for moisturization. With sheet face masks, I am not too picky about them as I am with actual face masks.

Another huge concern of mine is dull looking skin and dark spots. Both of which can be combatted with brightening products thus I love sheet masks that have brightening capabilities. This one is great for it and I also use this once a week. I do see the changes of my skin between using it and not using it—highly recommend this!

Okay, I think at this point you see a trend with my brightening obsession. My dark spots make me so unhappy partly because I am Asian. The Asian community treasures skin that is whiter (my mom used to hate when I would get tanner) because it shows signs of higher class (in the olden days). So I have since been drawn towards every brightening product I see.

Last of the list, is this mask that infuses collagen. I haven’t seen any masks that aren’t sheet masks to help with collagen and this one is also a fave. My skin always feels more plump the next morning if I use this specific mask.

MAKEUP

If you read my favorite mascaras of all time post, you would know that I have been loving this drug-store one. When it first came out, I was hesitant to purchase one because I have never liked drugstore mascaras. And if you ask my sister about my love for it,she will tell you I have an unhealthy possession. The waterproof one is my favorite because my lashes stay curled for longer. I cannot say enough good things about this mascara — the best is that it’s so inexpensive.

This was also in my favorite mascaras post because of its brush. It’s so big that with one coat, your entire lashes are done. And when it was finally done, I couldn’t stand to part ways. Although I love it, I am so in love with my Paradise that I couldn’t stand spending more than I need to for mascara.

When I first got into eyeliner, I was so intimidated by liquid liners because of how messy they can be. But the Stila one is so easy to use along with being extremely pigmented, which I need in my eyeliners now (extra black please!). If you are in the market for the perfect eyeliner and want to get away from drugstore, this one is amazing!

There are two of these in this pile, but honestly there are a lot more that I didn’t include. This is my absolute favorite chapstick—it’s extremely moisturizing without feeling too thick. I use this ALL year round and it’s always the one I lean towards. You can definitely always find one of these in my bag.

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Whew! I hope you all survived through this LONG post—I can finally start putting these containers into the trash bin instead of leaving them all over my living room. This bag of empties has raised so many questions from people who have visited my apartment and now I won’t be seen as the crazy lady! Have you tried these products or know better alternatives? Let me know in the comments below! Hope to see you on the next empties post!

I haven’t tried a lot of these, so I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I do LOVE the Garnier Micellar Water for removing eye makeup and I just also found that Almay makes eye makeup remover wipes that aren’t oily and work AWESOME! I also love my Clarisonic, I’ve been using it for years!

About Me

Hi! I am Jenny, Jen for short. I am a self-proclaimed foodie, fashionista and lipstick and mascara addict living in NYC. I have a love for free-writing and an obsession for taking pictures to document my life, which together gave birth to this blog. Here you will find a compilation of my random lil' thoughts and pictures. Currently, I am looking forward to exploring NYC for more yummy eats and pics, finding some good laughs and especially grasping for more time to finish what I've been procrastinating and to nap :)